Australians signal they're staying with Queen

Australians have cooled on the idea of removing the Queen as head of state and becoming a republic, despite a recent opposition pledge to hold a referendum by 2007, according to a poll published today.

Australians have cooled on the idea of removing the Queen as head of state and becoming a republic, despite a recent opposition pledge to hold a referendum by 2007, according to a poll published today.

Just 52% of people surveyed supported Australia abandoning its constitutional monarchy in favour of becoming a republic, down from 57% in December 1999 at the height of the republican debate, The Sydney Morning Herald reported.

The poll showed 40% were against the idea and 8% were undecided.

It also showed 75% of Australians, regardless of whether they supported a republic, would prefer a directly elected president over one chosen by Parliament.

The plan to have parliament elect a president who would replace the Queen as Australia's head of state was seen as a key factor in Australians rejecting the idea of becoming a republic at a November 1999 referendum.

Prime Minister John Howard, a staunch monarchist, has said he has no plans to stage another referendum.

But opposition leader Mark Latham has promised to hold a referendum on the issue by 2007 if his Labour Party wins national elections expected later this year.